Festo incorporates diagnostics into most field devices for actuation. These diagnostics enable the user to localize errors and minimize troubleshooting time. The type of information available includes: internal faults, module or channel faults, and trace data (a log of the last 40 diagnostic events). In addition, some devices have preventative maintenance diagnostics to assist in pro-active maintenance of equipment. The diagnostics are not just useful for the field device, but also the auxiliary devices connected to these devices, and the interconnections themselves. For example, valve manifolds are not only equipped with internal diagnostics for sub-base and module health, but also can help to diagnose problems with connected sensors, output devices, power supply connections, and wiring between these devices.
Diagnostics are achieved via four pragmatic scenarios:
